avatarJennifer McDougall

Summary

The article "My Lawn Is A Gift For You, Too" is about the author's love for daffodils and their decision to fill their lawn with these flowers to bring joy to themselves and their community.

Abstract

The author of "My Lawn Is A Gift For You, Too" shares a personal connection to daffodils, tracing back to childhood. This affection has inspired a long-standing dream to cover their lawn with these vibrant flowers. Over several years, they've been planting daffodil bulbs, creating a stunning display that has become a local attraction, prompting smiles and conversations among neighbors. The lawn's transformation into a sea of yellow has led to questions from passersby, particularly regarding lawn maintenance amidst the blooms. The author emphasizes that the daffodils' symbolism of friendship, chivalry, and respect resonates with their intent to share joy and beauty with others, while also acknowledging the historical language of flowers.

Opinions

  • The author has a deep fondness for daffodils, appreciating their resilience and the arrival of spring they herald.
  • There is a humorous anecdote about the author's husband's initial concern over the unconventional lawn care approach.
  • The author takes pride in their lawn's ability to evoke happiness and is motivated by the positive reactions from the community.
  • The choice to plant daffodils is also a personal statement, as the author enjoys defying the norm of a perfectly manicured lawn.
  • The author values the historical significance of flowers as a means of communication and is mindful of the messages daffodils convey.
  • The act of planting daffodils is described as a gift not only to the author but also to anyone who sees the lawn, emphasizing a sense of communal joy and connection.

My Lawn Is A Gift For You, Too

Here’s hoping the yellow faces of daffodils bring you joy

Photo by Peter Wimberg on Unsplash

It’s raining daffodils. Robert Loveman

I’ve adored daffodils since the moment my chubby toddler fingers could smush them into a nasal embrace. I’m fond of their brilliantly hued hardiness. And, of course, their perky crowns signal a new season.

“You’ve made it through the mounds of snow,” shout spring daffodils, almost as blinding as the ball of gas that’s melted away the drifts. “And before the swarms of mosquitoes arrive I gift you with my beauty.”

From the time I signed my first mortgage papers, I’ve had an item on my bucket list that involved hordes of narcissus bulbs and a plot of land. I was going to be that crazy soul with a lawn so plastered in daffodils that someone couldn’t pass by without a side glance — and at least a wink of a smile.

Three years ago my shovel and I finally made headway. We started slowly. With 20 King Alfred bulbs the first year. And 40 the next, adding in some Goblets and Jonquilla. And again this autumn, as leaves morph to orange and red, I’ve remembered to make my trip to the garden center. This year my daughter requested a few tulips be added.

I do it for me. And for you.

Photo by Author

“Your lawn with its daffodils makes me smile every time I pass,” says the woman with a lion-haired dog impatiently circling her leg. “But my husband does have one question.”

“What’s that?” I ask. A grin from her compliment still blossoms from one ear to the other.

“He wants me to ask how in the heck you cut your lawn?” I laugh at what used to be a battle in our home. My husband wanted our yard manicured almost as soon as the snowblower’s tires stopped puddling in the shed.

“We don’t. We wait.”

Our lawnmower continues its winter slumber as our grass strives to reach the height of the yellow blossoms. My husband grunts and groans as dandelions fill in the spaces between their similarly colored pals. When the daffodil clusters finally dry to onion-skinned clumps, both he and our neighbors breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the spot where our yards meet will soon look less like Glacier National Park’s Rockies-meet-prairie.

Historically, flowers convey messages. Honestly, though, I didn’t consider the “meaning” behind the yellow flowers that begin dotting my yard around April. Thankfully for you and me both they symbolize “friendship, chivalry, and respect”. I’m going to ignore the part about unrequited love or misfortune — although I suppose my husband’s unrequited love with our Toro and short turf could be the victim.

As I upend soil and tuck bulbs into the earth, I imagine an even greater number of lemony-crown-induced smirks.

My lawn isn’t just for me. It’s for you, too.

Photo by author

©Jennifer J. McDougall 2021

Gardening
Flowers
Joy
Life
Weeds And Wildflowers
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